Every community has amazing people and a story to tell. We call these “Hidden Gems”; treasures that once identified and polished-up can enhance the visitor experience by truly connecting travellers to a destination. From artisans to musicians, retired school teachers to story tellers, chefs to farmers - these people may never consider themselves to ‘be in the tourism industry’ but, when they are invited to share their passion with visitors, they are magical!

1. February 24
Online,
live from
Gander
Newfoundland!
Presented by:
Dr. Nancy Arsenault
“The Experience Gal”
tourismcafe.org
with support from:
Celes Davar, Earth Rhythms
earthrhythms.ca
Growing
Rural
Tourism
Conference
2015
Connecting Visitors
to Hidden Gems
1
Acknowledgements
• Jennifer Flip & the Growing Rural Tourism Conference
• Travel Alberta & the Experiential Travel
Training Program
• Celes Davar, Earth Rhythms
• Ryan Bray, Photographer
• Our many case study companies
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2. This is me!
A Cultural Explorer who flocks to rural communities when
travelling as fast as I can!
3
I prefer the
understated! I’m
looking for
authenticity,
engagement.
Authentic Experiencers!
I’m not big on brand
names, and love
visiting small towns
and villages!
4

3. Personal History Explorers
Connect me to my
culture and roots
while I travel in
comfort and style.
I enjoy comfort,
luxury when I travel,
some time for
rejuvenation, and
immersing with the
culture.
5
There are lots of
people who love
rural.
Details with Travel Alberta
& the CTC Explorer Quotient Research
6

4. WHEN VISITORS CHOOSE RURAL
THE JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION
7
Every town
has a story to tell
8

5. Fascinating story tellers
Historic Reesor
Ranch
A Cowboy
Poet
9
Community connections
The
Boomtown
Trail
Dessert
Theatre
2013 Governor
General’s History
Award for Excellence
in Community
Programming.
10

6. Shift from performing
Brian Lackey
Jasper
11
To engaging
12

7. To sucking and blowing!
13
Cultural Creativity!
14

8. THEY ARE WHAT DIFFERENTIATES US
15
THEY ARE THE RAW MATERIALS
OF MEMORABLE VISITOR
EXPERIENCES
16

9. Stories & the people
who tell them,
& connect with guests
are the hidden gems
found in every rural
community.
17
“Getting the community involved in
tourism instills community pride,
particularly in small rural areas.”
Mari-France, Le Pays de Sagouine
Denise Boudreau, Product Development Officer
New Brunswick Tourism & Parks
DMOs & Operators alike
understand
storytelling is at the heart of
great experiences
18

10. Stories can be powerful, compelling, exciting,
informative, educational, personal, and
memorable.
What stories are at
the heart of your visitor
experience?
Are you using them
to create a competitive advantage?
19
The Harley’s are cool
but the guides & their
stories lock in the
memories.
20

11. Why Stories Work
• Trigger emotion and intrigue
• Engage people, bring understanding
• Have a theme, plot, characters, action
• They can evolve, have chapters-episodes
• Storytelling is a natural human impulse
• When meaningful, they are memorable
21
Seeing is Believing
Experiencing is Even Better!
Inspiration is all around us!
22

12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_pj4cz2VJM
FLOW HIVE https://www.facebook.com/flowhive
23
A Small Town Gal’s
Dreams Come True
MOLLY WHITE
24

13. Mountain Pillow
Magic
Meet Megan & Elliot
in Jasper
25
26

14. Megan, Elliot and Molly
are Hidden Gems
As are their unique stories and ways they
share their love of where they live.
27
When Visitors Choose Rural2 WAYS TO BRING THEM TO MARKET
Traditional
Tourism
Businesses
Experience
Providers
Catalyst
When Visitors Choose Rural
YOU NEED A CATALYST
28

15. When Visitors Choose Rural VIA EXPERIENCE PROVIDERS
Experience
Providers
Traditional
Tourism
Businesses
Catalyst
29
Traditional
Tourism
Businesses
When Visitors Choose Rural VIA TOURISM BUSINESSES
Catalyst Experience
Providers
30

16. e
IT CAN WORK EITHER WAY
Traditional
Tourism
Businesses
Experience
Providers
Catalyst
• Receptive operator
• Transportation provider - Bus Tour Co.
• Accommodations - Hotel, B&B, Inn
• Destination management organization
• Economic development/Tourism office
• Not for profits, Volunteer, Museum
• Attractions, Festivals
• Experience provider (Musician, artist, yoga teacher)
• Non-traditional tourism businesses
• Event managers
31
e
THE BENEFITS
32

17. So who are these
hidden gems?
… and how can they create
a tourism advantage.
33
Experiential Travel
Connects you with the essence of a place and its people by
engaging visitors in a series of memorable travel activities,
revealed over time, that are inherently personal, engage the
senses, and make connections on an emotional, physical, spiritual
or intellectual level. It responds to the desire to venture beyond the
beaten tourist paths, dive deeper into authentic, local culture,
connects with people in ways that enriches their lives.
Source: Nancy Arsenault (2004). Packaging Experiences - A CTC Publication
Photo Credit: Celes DavarPhoto Credit: GMIST
Photo Credit: Experience PEI
34

18. Cuisine
35
THE BEGGARS BANQUET
From%a%Dead%End%…%to%a%Des/na/on%Case%Study%by:%Nancy%Arsenault%&%Dorothy%Payne%(2014)
Videographer:%%Celes%Davar
36

19. From%a%Dead%End%…%to%a%Des/na/on%Case%Study%by:%Nancy%Arsenault%&%Dorothy%Payne%(2014)
37
From%a%Dead%End%…%to%a%Des/na/on%Case%Study%by:%Nancy%Arsenault%&%Dorothy%Payne%(2014)
$39.95%M%Adults%
$19.99%M%Children%
…"affordable"
38

20. So who are
the hidden gems?
39
3 PARTNERS, 3 EXPERIENCES, 1 SMALL TOWN, AND A GRAND FINALE!
A CULINARY JOURNEY
40

21. CULINARY JOURNEY OPTIONS
+ +Progressive within
a community
Themed with
a community
Themed with
multiple
communities.
41
So who are
the hidden gems?
42

22. Investing in stories brings existing
infrastructure to life and is:
... less expensive
... more engaging
... quicker to market
... attracts interest and new visitors
.... builds HR capacity
... flexible/dynamic
… done well allows you to compete on value.
A Louisbourg Storyteller
43
Culture & Art
44

23. A BASECAMP FOR NL CULTURE & COMMUNITY
Todd Wight, GM
BASECAMP
HOTEL
COMMUNITY
ACTIVITIES &
EXPERIENCES
45
Rocky Harbour,
Newfoundland
70 km from Deer
Lake Airport,
Approx 1 hour
drive
700 km from St. John’s
Approx 7.5 hour drive
fro the main gateway city
46

24. Todd Wight, General Manager, Oceanview Hotel
Rocky Harbour, NL
47
www.oceanview.ca
48

25. TRAILS, TALES, & TUNES
www.trailstalestunes.ca
49
So who are
the hidden gems?
Musicians - award winning to local talent
Storytellers - retired school teachers to
professional tourism guides
Unique Venues - from the Catstop Pub, to the
gas station, grocery store …
50

26. Nature
51
Todd Wight, GMwww.northernedgealgonquin.ca
AN ECO-LODGE THAT DOESN’T SELL ROOMS!
LOCATED: 3 HOURS NORTH OF TORONTO,
SOUTH RIVER: POPULATION 1,049
52

27. Greater
Differentiation
HigherYield
Undifferentiated
LowerYield
Value of Economic Progression
Lake,
Algonquin Park
Wildlife
(Commodity)
ONLY SELL EXPERIENCES!
Everything else is carefully
selected to compliment this!
53
So who/where are
the hidden gems?
Chef: A passionate
foodie!
Community Partners: Yoga instructors,
photographers, micro-brewery,
even like-businesses!!
54

28. www.earthrhythms.ca
55
So who/where are
the hidden gems?
People: Biologists to babas, bee
keepers to greens keepers
Non-traditional places:
picnic shelter to church basement,
56

29. ©%Tourism%Cafe%Canada%&%Canadian%Tourism%Commission%(2013)
Greater
Differentiation,
Emotion, &
Engagement
Cost-based pricing Value-based pricing
Low
Volume
High Yield
High
Volume
Low Yield
No to Low
Differentiation,
Emotion, &
Engagement
Greater
Differentiation,
Emotion, &
Engagement
Compe//ve%
Posi/oning
Pricing,%Profits%
&%Value
Niche
Market
Mass
Market
Personalized or
Customized
Infrastructure &
Place
Activities &
Services
Physical
Engagement
ROI
Activities &
Services
Programs &
People
ROI &
ROE
Emotional
Engagement
HIDDEN GEMS RAISE THE BAR
57
Invest in People & Community
58

30. Trust Vision
Customer-
Profile
45-3-90-
minutes
Immersive-
&-
interac;ve
12-
ingredients
Coaching-&--
Feedback
Logis;cs
Constraints-
&-
Collabora;on
Stage-the-
Experience
TIPS FOR COACHING COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Foreground-
not-
Background
Fees-&-
Costs
59
Hidden Gems can
create new revenue opportunities,
and
AMAZE and ENGAGE GUESTS!
Bottom Line
60

31. POLISHING HIDDEN GEMS
TRANSFORMING PRODUCTS TO EXPERIENCES
NEXT LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!
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Thank You!
Nancy Arsenault
nancy@tourismcafe.org
T: 250.941.7702
M: 250.589.2087 facebook.com/tourismcafe
twitter/nancyarsenault
tourismcafe.org
slideshare.net/nancyarsenault
tourismcafe.ca
linkedin.com/in/nancyarsenault
scribd.com/TourismCafe
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